I know how this is going to sound. Let me preface this by saying, I have two daughters and two grand daughters and I love women. I have had some really good female employees. The best F&I person that I have ever seen came off of my sales floor. I sent her to F&I school and she was a monster. I have had a number of really good female sales people on the floor and internet department. For every success, I have had a far more failures. Obviously, I have had failures hiring men but not nearly as many as a percentage. My experience with talented women is that they tend to have a good month followed by a really poor one. The amount of drama, I've experienced, makes me extremely selective when I hire women. When I have found a good one, they have been exceptional. Is it just me?
What Has Been Your Experience Hiring Female ISMs?
- Thread starter ddavis
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- Dayna
- Dec 12, 2011
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- Ryan
1934 called, they wanted me to post a support comment for them in this thread because they didn't have computer access!!!
- Apr 7, 2009
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- Joe
Doug,
My wife is a car sales rep. I hear the stories all the time. You want to talk about drama queens, the men are whinny, back stabbing, 2 faced weasels.
You know that LEADERSHIP sets the standards... male or female.
My wife is a car sales rep. I hear the stories all the time. You want to talk about drama queens, the men are whinny, back stabbing, 2 faced weasels.
You know that LEADERSHIP sets the standards... male or female.
I expected this response.
Dayna, tell me what percentage of your sales floor or ISMs are women.
You once stated how much you averaged when you were on the floor. Over half of the population is women, why aren't at least half of your sales organization women? It ain't the money.
I am quite aware what year it is. Give me a run down on your female staff.
I'm a pretty good Sales Manager. I usually don't have much turnover. I am certain that I am well liked by most people in every store that I have worked for. My employees have been from every nationality, creed, sexual orientation and sex. I have never had an employee complain about the way I treated them. That is over 30 years without a complaint.
My daughter sold clothing while she was in school. She has run several Brooks Brothers and all of them were ranked in the top ten, nationally.
I've worked at stores where we were not allowed to hire female sales Reps. Obviously, this wasn't a written rule. Any experienced guy, on here, that hasn't run into this is being less than honest. I wanted to air something that is often discussed in private.
Dayna, tell me what percentage of your sales floor or ISMs are women.
You once stated how much you averaged when you were on the floor. Over half of the population is women, why aren't at least half of your sales organization women? It ain't the money.
I am quite aware what year it is. Give me a run down on your female staff.
I'm a pretty good Sales Manager. I usually don't have much turnover. I am certain that I am well liked by most people in every store that I have worked for. My employees have been from every nationality, creed, sexual orientation and sex. I have never had an employee complain about the way I treated them. That is over 30 years without a complaint.
My daughter sold clothing while she was in school. She has run several Brooks Brothers and all of them were ranked in the top ten, nationally.
I've worked at stores where we were not allowed to hire female sales Reps. Obviously, this wasn't a written rule. Any experienced guy, on here, that hasn't run into this is being less than honest. I wanted to air something that is often discussed in private.
- Oct 23, 2011
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- Kelly
In my 3 years here under the rock I've seen 2 women hired on the floor. Both 
were gone in under 2 months. However, we have only had 3 women actually apply. Both of these women agreed that no real knowledge of cars and the need to have a steady income to feed their children when combined with their low starting sales numbers and lack of drive resulted in their departure. They didn't get into anything with the guys, didn't play along-joke around-join in with the fun.
When I first came to OCJ we did a big hiring session there were 500 applicants - 13 women...our "trainers" ran the interviews, after a week of cuts, we hired 6-1 girl--1 guy never showed up- all were gone in 6 months
We did have a female Service Manager that had moved up from an Advisor. She was a ball buster; however picking sides and playing politics is a game of chance. She now works across the street.
~You all know by now I'm a bit...different...I grew up working on all types of cars and I'm not a shy or quiet girl - I'll take shots
after hours with the guys, call them out, make them blush, take my licks and come back for more. Demanding, articulate and direct, I have a hard skin most days--but we all have a weak spot or two. I'm not on the floor selling, nor do I want to be-but I don't know any non-Auto friends that would still be standing where I am after a month of my job. 
~
Joe:
The REAL drama Queens --The guys --Mayor McCheese, the Roller Derby Queen, Trigger, the Rally Squirrel...
Doug: You're talking girls and clothing
girls and cars...it's different
With a 50% Divorce rate (now on the rise) for sales staff, it IS a demanding job. Society places (not that it's fair) more pressure on females to maintain relationships and family ties and more expectation on the male to "bring home the bacon." Also the typical Male tends to form brotherly relations that are useful on the floor-brothers knock each others teeth in then go watch TV together. Females (for the most part) seem to want to build relationships--This is really more of a personality test issue--but stereotypes do serve a function. And the Car Biz may be the last vestige of the good ol' Boys' Club...some fight a bit harder for that.
Finding a GOOD sales person is hard; an OK one a little easier. What type of people walk into a dealer looking for a job? What abilities do you look for in a candidate? What traits do you require? Forget gender--motivated, skilled, diligent & competent employees are hard to find.
Too many times we settle to fill a spot to move on for the time being knowing we will have to re-visit the issue again.
and come on boys...a Woman that knows her way around a car?
You know it gets you a little
under the collar!
were gone in under 2 months. However, we have only had 3 women actually apply. Both of these women agreed that no real knowledge of cars and the need to have a steady income to feed their children when combined with their low starting sales numbers and lack of drive resulted in their departure. They didn't get into anything with the guys, didn't play along-joke around-join in with the fun. When I first came to OCJ we did a big hiring session there were 500 applicants - 13 women...our "trainers" ran the interviews, after a week of cuts, we hired 6-1 girl--1 guy never showed up- all were gone in 6 months
We did have a female Service Manager that had moved up from an Advisor. She was a ball buster; however picking sides and playing politics is a game of chance. She now works across the street.
~You all know by now I'm a bit...different...I grew up working on all types of cars and I'm not a shy or quiet girl - I'll take shots
after hours with the guys, call them out, make them blush, take my licks and come back for more. Demanding, articulate and direct, I have a hard skin most days--but we all have a weak spot or two. I'm not on the floor selling, nor do I want to be-but I don't know any non-Auto friends that would still be standing where I am after a month of my job. ~Joe:
The REAL drama Queens --The guys --Mayor McCheese, the Roller Derby Queen, Trigger, the Rally Squirrel... Doug: You're talking girls and clothing
girls and cars...it's differentWith a 50% Divorce rate (now on the rise) for sales staff, it IS a demanding job. Society places (not that it's fair) more pressure on females to maintain relationships and family ties and more expectation on the male to "bring home the bacon." Also the typical Male tends to form brotherly relations that are useful on the floor-brothers knock each others teeth in then go watch TV together. Females (for the most part) seem to want to build relationships--This is really more of a personality test issue--but stereotypes do serve a function. And the Car Biz may be the last vestige of the good ol' Boys' Club...some fight a bit harder for that.
Finding a GOOD sales person is hard; an OK one a little easier. What type of people walk into a dealer looking for a job? What abilities do you look for in a candidate? What traits do you require? Forget gender--motivated, skilled, diligent & competent employees are hard to find.
Too many times we settle to fill a spot to move on for the time being knowing we will have to re-visit the issue again.
and come on boys...a Woman that knows her way around a car?
You know it gets you a little
under the collar!
Last edited:
- Dec 2, 2009
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- John
Why aren't half the politicians women? Why no woman president? More women police?
I think it's safe to say that in traditionally male-dominated fields, women face challenges from the status quo with which men do not have to deal.
This too shall pass.
I think it's safe to say that in traditionally male-dominated fields, women face challenges from the status quo with which men do not have to deal.
This too shall pass.
- Apr 7, 2009
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- Joe
...Also the typical Male tends to form brotherly relations that are useful on the floor-brothers knock each others teeth in then go watch TV together. Females (for the most part) seem to want to build relationships-- And the Car Biz may be the last vestige of the good ol' Boys' Club...some fight a bit harder for that.
and come on boys...a Woman that knows her way around a car?
You know it gets you a little
No doubt about it. Sales reps view their store as a Zero Sum Game. Females have "tools" they don't have and it scares them.
The awesome trainer and consultant Joe Webb NAILS IT!
